One Poetic Night at The Cactus
Every story needs a prologue. Every storyteller needs to set the stage. At the beginning of August, for the better part of a week, two friends and I enjoyed a remarkable journey of friendship, camaraderie, photography, creativity, exploration, laughter, and purpose. It was a profoundly special time for all of us.
On August 1st, I took my first trip to Lubbock Texas. More than likely, it will not be my last. The principal reason for my visit to Lubbock was my role in a photo exhibition at the Buddy Holly Center. My good friend from back home, Chuck Doughty, went with me. Chuck's main reason for the trip was to spend time with me and our mutual friend, Melinda Green Harvey, who lives in Lubbock. I have known Chuck for 30 years and Melinda for about five. During my first workshop in Sicily in 2022, Melinda and Chuck met and became fast friends. Individually, the three of us share a profound interest in photography and travel. Collectively, we all desire more from our experiences and our creativity. I hope that all makes sense.
Sometimes, when I take a moment and reflect, I realize I have done a lot of traveling over the past several years. Many states, several countries, and a few continents later, I can smile about many great adventures. I have seen a lot. During these travels, I have enjoyed many unique experiences that continually open my eyes, and heart, to the world around me. I have learned a lot. Being invited to be the juror for a photography exhibit at such an esteemed gallery as the Buddy Holly Center was a first for me. So was cowboy poetry and music. Before I arrived in Lubbock, I can honestly say I had never heard of or listened to Cowboy Poetry. Until one fantastic August night in Lubbock, I had no idea the talented, creative, cool, and fun stuff I was missing out on. If you like Americana, imaginative storytelling, and interesting people, I encourage you to look up Cowboy Poetry, Waddie Mitchell, and Andy Hedges. Trust me, it is worth your time.
Melinda's primary role in Lubbock was to host Chuck and me during our visit, coordinate the touristy things we would do in Lubbock, and organize the after-Lubbock road trip. She did an outstanding and overly generous job of it all. The road trip will be the topic of another blog post. The night after the Buddy Holly Exhibition opening, Melinda arranged for us to attend a night of Cowboy Poetry at the Cactus Theater. The Cactus is a beautifully restored venue built in 1938. Originally designed as a neighborhood movie theater, it now hosts top musical and theater productions. It is a gorgeous venue. Melinda told us of her plan and casually mentioned that we would get to go backstage and meet the performers. It all seemed very low-key; until it wasn't. When we arrived, Melinda met with the woman she arranged things with and we were all whisked backstage. The dressing room for the performers was small and crowded with a few small couches, a coffee table, a closet or two, a dorm-sized refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee pot, a changing room, and a bathroom. The white walls were adorned with penned signatures from thousands of performers and visitors going back almost a hundred years. We were casually introduced to the performers and left there with them. Little did I know we were in the presence of one cowboy legend and another in the making.
Bruce "Waddie" Mitchell has been a cowboy poet, author, and unique celebrity for decades. A real working cowboy for most of his life, Waddie was immersed in the cowboy way while working on his father's ranch in Wyoming. With no electricity for television and limited access to radio, cowboys turned to creative outlets such as storytelling, songs, and poetry to pass the time together. This upbringing shaped Waddie's love of words and cowboy culture. It also inspired the rest of his life. Waddie has been a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson four times, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, TNN, The History Channel, PBS, and BBC. He has been featured in iconic magazines such as People, Life, Fortune, and National Geographic. Waddie has also been showcased in newspapers such as the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. He penned a poem about the American West for the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was highlighted in the Official Program for Super Bowl XXX. Waddie has performed at Carnegie Hall and hundreds of other venues. He is co-founder of the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, received more awards and accolades than can be listed, and influenced countless souls in their pursuit of the cowboy way. Yup, a legend and a real gem. I had no idea.
Andy Hedges is a resident of Lubbock, a well-received folk artist, and a legend in the making. Andy has spent his life absorbing the unique traditions of music, poetry, and storytelling arising from the American West. He has become a devoted caretaker of cowboy culture and will continue for many years. In Waddie's words, "He embodies the future of the tradition". For Andy, I believe this is the highest praise possible for Waddie is his hero; his inspiration. When I met Andy, I immediately liked him. A firm, confident handshake while looking me in the eye and unassumingly welcoming me (and Chuck and Melinda) into the dressing room at The Cactus told me all I needed to know about this man. Andy, like Waddie, has a lengthy resume of performing and personal accolades. A much sought-after performer, he has collaborated on a double CD of music with fabled western musicians featuring classic cowboy songs, performed at Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry, received praise from Rolling Stone magazine, and hosts a podcast titled "Cowboy Crossroads". Given his humble, easygoing demeanor when I met him, I had no foreshadowing of his prominent role in modern cowboy culture. Again, I had no idea.
As I said earlier, the dressing room at The Cactus is pretty small. Waddie was there, Andy was there with his wife and kids and another act, a brother and sister duo from Montana called The Reedy's was in the room also. Melinda knew Andy and she knew of Waddie. Chuck and I were a pair of Bostonian outsiders who stuck out like a sore thumb. My main goal was to stay out of the way more than take photos. But I did take some photographs. I had to. The setting, the mood, and the characters were all too good so, I managed a few, mostly hurried portraits of Waddie relaxing on a couch and Andy posing for me in a doorway. At one point, I asked to take a photo of Waddie and Andy together and they obliged me. Andy politely asked me to ensure he got those photos since Waddie was his hero and inspiration. I assured him he would. Had I known that I was meeting and working with a pair of legends, I would have taken a far more purposeful approach to creating portraits of them and for them. Perhaps, had I known the magnitude of the moment, I would have felt a great deal of pressure. Ignorance is bliss they say.
The rest of the evening remains a blur of brilliance, wonder, laughter, fascination, and appreciation. To say I loved it all is an understatement. A whole new world, just like the rest of the week, was opening up to me. I was transfixed. The Reedy's opened the show with some fantastic Western-style music featuring beautiful vocals, fiddle playing, and some slick guitar work. After their performance, Andy came on stage and sang old cowboy songs while picking at his acoustic guitar. Waddie joined him soon after to recite some of his poetry. Soon Andy's daughter, a young teenager, joined him on stage to play fiddle as he sang and played. Andy and Briget, the vocalist for The Reedy's collaborated on a few songs. To say it was great entertainment is not enough. To say it was fun or beautiful is not enough either. This night was a glimpse into a world unknown to me, but a world I quickly learned that I want to be part of. All of it was new to me. All of it was new to Chuck. Melinda beamed in pride as we took it all in. That August night at The Cactus was magical.
I cannot thank Andy Hedges enough for allowing me, and my friends, into his world for a few hours. I cannot thank Waddie Mitchell for introducing me to something meaningful and soulful. I cannot thank Melinda's husband Larry enough for his patience, kindness, and hospitality. Most importantly, I cannot thank my friends Chuck and Melinda for the gift of friendship. And when I say friendship, I mean real, genuine, caring despite your warts and imperfections friendship. I am so grateful.
And this is the end of the prologue. I felt it was needed to set the stage, as a good storyteller would, for all that is to follow. It was indeed a poetic night. Roll on Cowboys, Roll on.
Photograph What You Feel
Fuji XT-5
Fuji 56mm f1.2 WR Lens
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